4 .TH SORTM %manext1% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
13 .RB [ \-all | \-noall ]
22 .RB [ \-verbose " | " \-noverbose ]
28 sorts the specified messages in the named folder according
29 to the chronological order of the \*(lqDate:\*(rq field of each message.
31 If no messages are specified, the default is all messages in the folder.
32 However, if no messages are specified and the
34 switch is enabled, then
36 reports that as an error and exits with non-zero status.
38 is most useful in the user's profile, to avoid inadvertant sorting of
41 switch can then be used on the command line to disable it. Of course,
42 a message specification of
44 can be used in any case.
50 to tell the user the general
51 actions that it is taking to place the folder in sorted order.
58 the name of the field to
59 use when making the date comparison. If the user has a special field in
60 each message, such as \*(lqBB\-Posted:\*(rq or \*(lqDelivery\-Date:\*(rq,
63 switch can be used to direct
65 which field to examine.
72 to sort messages by the specified text field. All characters except
73 letters and numbers are stripped and the resulting strings are sorted
74 datefield\-major, textfield\-minor, using a case insensitive
75 comparison. If this field is \*(lqsubject\*(rq, any leading "re:" is
84 is specified, messages
85 with the same textfields that are dated within `days' of each other
86 appear together. Specifying
88 makes the limit infinity.
92 the sort is instead simply textfield\-major.
94 For example, to order a folder by date-major, grouping messages with
95 the same subject on the same date together, use:
98 sortm -textfield subject +folder
104 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
105 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
108 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
112 .ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName 'u
113 ^Path:~^To determine the user's nmh directory
114 ^Current\-Folder:~^To find the default current folder
122 .RB ` +folder "' defaults to the current folder"
123 .RB ` msgs"' defaults to all without -noall, no default with -noall"
125 .RB ` \-datefield "' defaults to date"
126 .RB ` \-notextfield '
132 If a folder is given, it will become the current folder. If the current
135 will preserve its status as current.
138 Timezones used to be ignored when comparing dates: they aren't any more.
140 Messages which were in the folder, but not specified by `msgs', used to
141 be moved to the end of the folder; now such messages are left untouched.
144 sometimes did not preserve the message numbering in a folder
145 (e.g., messages 1, 3, and 5, might have been renumbered to 1, 2, 3 after
146 sorting). This was a bug, and has been fixed. To compress the message
147 numbering in a folder, use
148 .RB \*(lq "folder\ \-pack" \*(rq
154 encounters a message without a date\-field, or if the
155 message has a date\-field that
159 attempts to keep the message in the same relative position. This does
160 not always work. For instance, if the first message encountered lacks
161 a date which can be parsed, then it will usually be placed at the end
162 of the messages being sorted.
166 complains about a message which it can't temporally
167 order, it complains about the message number
170 It should indicate what the message number will be